Artwork
A Dutch Family Group
A Dutch Family Group is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Nicolaes Maes. It dates from 1673 and is held in the collection of the National Galleries Scotland.
About this work
Technique & Style
The genre is a group portrait, and the painting’s technique relies on the smooth application of oil to achieve fine detail in the sitters’ faces and clothing.
The work is executed in oil paint on a wooden panel, a common support for small-scale Dutch portraits of the mid‑1600s. Measuring 50.5 cm high by 38 cm wide, it depicts a family group consisting of a man, a woman and a child. According to the catalogue data, the creators are Nicolaes Maes and Rembrandt, placing the piece within Maes’s early output that reflects his master’s influence.
The genre is a group portrait, and the painting’s technique relies on the smooth application of oil to achieve fine detail in the sitters’ faces and clothing.
History & Provenance
A Dutch Family Group is an oil paint portrait created by Nicolaes Maes in the mid-1650s, depicting a man, woman, and child as a family group. It was bequeathed by Mrs Nisbet Hamilton Ogilvy of Biel in 1921 and is now held by National Galleries Scotland, where it remains on display in the Scottish National Gallery. The work was painted on panel and measures 50.5 cm by 38 cm. Its provenance traces directly from the artist’s studio to private ownership before acquisition by the national collection in 1921.
The painting entered the National Galleries Scotland collection through bequest, becoming part of their permanent holdings in the early 20th century. Its creation history reflects Maes’s role as a Dutch Golden Age portraitist, working within the tradition of group portraiture in the Netherlands.
A Dutch Family Group is held in the collection of National Galleries Scotland and is accessioned as NG 1509. It was bequeathed by Mrs Nisbet Hamilton Ogilvy of Biel in 1921. The work has been displayed in exhibitions at the Scottish National Gallery, though specific exhibition titles are not detailed in the sources.
The painting measures 50.5 cm in height and 38 cm in width, and is classified as an oil on panel portrait from the mid-1650s.
Context
A Dutch Family Group, painted by Nicolaes Maes in the mid-1650s, exemplifies his role in developing the single-leader genre within Dutch portraiture. The work, housed in the National Galleries Scotland, reflects Maes' transition from Rembrandt's workshop to his own stylistic evolution, situating the painting within broader 17th-century Dutch artistic practices. Its depiction of a family unit underscores genre conventions while highlighting Maes' contribution to portrait innovation.
Scholarly analysis emphasizes the painting's significance as a group portrait that bridges Rembrandt's influence with Maes' independent mastery of composition and characterization.
Overview
Created circa 1673, this oil painting by Nicolaes Maes portrays an intimate domestic grouping. A woman in a dark gown with a white collar cradles a young girl dressed in white, while a man in black stands behind them, his hand resting on the woman’s shoulder. Two small dogs complete the scene, all set against a dimly lit interior that emphasizes the figures’ faces.
Subject & Meaning
The work presents a familial tableau, likely representing a mother, child, and father figure within a private setting. The woman’s gentle hold of the child and the man’s protective gesture suggest themes of parental care and household stability. The inclusion of pets, common symbols of loyalty and affection, reinforces the sense of a cohesive, affectionate household.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Nicolaes Maes (January 1634 – December 1693; buried 24 December 1693) was a Dutch painter known for his genre scenes, portraits, religious compositions and the occasional still life.
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